Mind the speed trap
Chandigarh, February 12
Speeding motorists, beware! Beginning today, the traffic police has begun charging enhanced penalty for overspeeding and racing following a notification by the administration.

Pick your theme this Valentine’s
Chandigarh, February 12
The party scene has shifted from the city to the outskirts, so it seems. As the countdown for St Valentine's Day begins, discotheques and nightclubs on the outskirts are all set to organise theme-based dance parties, offering special gifts to couples.

MC proposes Rs 281-cr budget
Chandigarh, February 12
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has proposed a budget of Rs 281.38 crore for the next financial year. The Finance and Contract Committee at its meeting today approved the budget estimates of Rs 281.38 crore under plan head and Rs 225.05 under non-plan head.

Man let off after 30 years
Chandigarh, February 12
It took 30 years for Jasbir Singh to get justice who was finally acquitted by judicial magistrate Atul Marya today.

Tagore Theatre: It’s a monster
Chandigarh, February 12
It’s strange that an outsider should voice his anguish over things going wrong in Chandigarh, and hope he would be heard too.
This time it’s about Tagore Theatre, whose new design shocked M.S. Sathyu, the renowned filmmaker, when he went to visit the space during his visit to Chandigarh in the first week of February.

Panel to focus on remote border areas
Chandigarh, February 12
The 13th Finance Commission would be laying stress on the development of remote border areas in the north-western part of the country.

Sun-soaked: Visitors decide to bask in the sun at the Sector 17 plaza in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
— Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Polythene ban: Draft notification issued
Chandigarh, February 12
The administration has invited objections from the public on the use polythene bags in the city.
A draft notification has been issued and objections can be made in writing to the secretary environment, Chandigarh administration, within 60 days. A final notification will be issued after members of the public had expressed their objection.

Book on patriotism released
Chandigarh, February 12
The UT finance secretary, Sanjay Kumar, released a book on poetry entitled ‘Talash zindagi Ki Khandraharon Mein’ at a simple ceremony attended by many scholars and principals of UT schools at the UT conference hall.

NCC cadets felicitated
Chandigarh, February
12
Felicitating the contingent of the Chandigarh NCC Naval Wing for
standing first in the Republic Day Parade-2008, held in the city,
Commander D.V. Singh, Commanding Officer, No.1 Chandigarh Naval Wing,
awarded certificates to the cadets at a function held here today. Merit
certificates were also given to the cadets who attended the Combined
Annual Training Camp held from January 22 to 31.

Commander D.V. Singh, Commanding Officer, No.1 Chandigarh Naval Wing, presents an award to a cadet at a function held in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
— A Tribune photograph

Sukhna Lake
This service stinks
Chandigarh, February 12
It seems that the public amenities at the Sukhna Lake are only for a few. At least two public toilets along the joggers track remain closed during the time when visitors stroll on the pathway along the artificial water body.

Public toilets along the joggers track.
— A Tribune photograph

Letters
Babus should show respect to public
Whenever we write a letter to any government office, we address the officer concerned respectfully. Even when we make a call, we wish him/her. But memos from government offices are never addressed respectfully. Even wishes made on phone are never returned.

Now, law entrance exam in Hindi, Punjabi
Chandigarh, February 12
Panjab University’s entrance for admission to the department of laws can also be taken in Hindi and Punjabi besides English, after the syndicate gave it a nod at a meeting, held today. This was done in the wake of a letter received from University Grants Commission to hold the exam in Hindi and Punjabi too. The syndicate also approved to revert the old pattern of internal assessment in the department. Internal assessment in LLB courses was introduced in the academic session 2006.

From Schools & Colleges
American maestro gives scintillating performance
Chandigarh, February 12
Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, in association with the
N.S.C.A, Readers and Writers Society of India, organised a two-session function on the college premises. Kumari
Satyawati, chairperson of the college, Dr. Shashi Jain, director of the college and Dr. I.D. Singh, secretary,
N.S.C.A., welcomed the novelists and the poets on the occasion.

PU to organise research convention
Chandigarh, February 12
Panjab University is organising Student Research Convention in collaboration with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, from February 13-15.

Murder trial quashed as GCM faulty
Chandigarh, February 12
The Delhi High Court has quashed the
proceedings of a General Court Martial (GCM) that had tried and
sentenced a jawan to life imprisonment on charges of murder, on grounds
that the composition of the GCM was not as per regulations.

Disability Pension
Officer quitting due to injury on a par with invalidated one: HC
Chandigarh, February 12
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in a significant judgement, today held that an army officer, who expressed unwillingness to continue and was discharged from service after sustaining injury attributable to military service, would be deemed to have been invalidated out of service.

10-year jail to foreign national
Nine years on, HC upholds verdict
Chandigarh, February 12
Nine years after foreign national John Hussain was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the court of special judge at Ropar after being apprehended from a house in Mohali with drugs, Justice Sham Sunder of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the orders and directed him to undergo the remaining part of the sentence.

Education dept fails to keep word
Teachers deputed on non-teaching duties
Patiala, February 12
The Punjab government, for reasons best know to it, has once again backtracked on its own decision of not deputing teaching faculty on non-teaching duties in the state.

Graft Case
SDM to probe patwari’s arrest
Ambala, February 12
SDM Mukesh Ahuja will probe into the arrest of a patwari by the Vigilance Bureau some days back for taking bribe.

Two killed in separate incidents
Lalru, February 12
Parkash Singh (43) was killed in an accident at Lalru here this morning. The victim was working as a security guard at Nahar Factory on Lehli-Jalapur road and belonged to Himachal Pradesh. He was on duty in the morning and was hit by a speeding car. The car driver fled following the accident. Prakash Singh reportedly died on the spot.

Residents call for bandh today
Bassi Pathana, February 12
The residents of Bassi Pathana will observe a complete bandh and disrupt rail traffic on Ambala-Nangal section at Bassi Pathana railway station tomorrow in protest against the decision of the railway authorities to withdraw the stopover of 4553, 4554 Himachal Express at the Bassi Pathana railway station. A decision in this regard was taken during the meeting of the representatives of various political, religious and social organisations here today.

1 dies, 2 missing as vehicle falls into canal
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 12
Malkit Singh, driver of the security vehicle attached with SGPC president Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra's widow Bibi Joginder Kaur, reportedly died, while two others were feared dead after the vehicle in which they were travelling fell into the Bhakra canal between Tohra village and Chanarthal Kalan this evening.

RCF, Mehar Academy in semifinals
Patiala, February 12
The decks were cleared for the last four stage of the 2nd All India Gurcharan Singh Tohra Memorial Football Tournament with seeded outfits like
RCF, Kapurthala, Mehar Football Academy, PSEB and BSF making the semifinal cut.

Dewang, Ajmer take FCI to victory
Chandigarh, February 12
FCI Headquarters thrashed East Zone by 71 runs in the opening match of the 37th edition of the All India FCI Inter-Zonal Cricket Tournament that started at Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here today.

A match in progress between Headquarter Delhi and North East during the 37th All India FCI Inter-Zonal Cricket Tournament in Sector 16, Chandigarh, on Tuesday.
— Tribune photo by Vinay Malik

AITA Series
Vibhuti secures berth in quarters
Chandigarh, February 12
City-based Vibhuti Khullar made it to the quarterfinals beating Bhavya Wadhawan 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in well-contested match in under-14 girls’ singles of ongoing AITA Talent Series being played at CLTA, Sector 10, here today.
In under-12 category, Vibhuti also secured quarterfinal berth as she got the better of Naemat Aulakh 6-1, 6-0 in straight sets.
In the boys’ category, Bhavtaranpreet Singh moved into the quarterfinal beating Ankush Arora from Punjab by 6-2, 6-4 in the singles of under-14 category.

Charvi Saxena during the AITA Talent Series at CLTA, Sector 10, Chandigarh,
on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Travel agency MDs booked for fraud
Chandigarh, February 12
The police booked two managing directors of a travel agency on the charges of duping Vikram Kaushal, owner, Blue Sky MS World Wide, Sector 34, by taking air tickets from him and did not deposit the money with him.

Chain snatched
Chandigarh, February 12
Some miscreants snatched an artificial chain of a woman this afternoon
and in the process, the victim suffered abrasion on her neck.

2 get jail for stealing mobile
Chandigarh, February 12
Harpreet Singh and Ravinder Singh were sentenced rigorous imprisonment of one
year for stealing mobile from a shop-cum-office in Sector 35, by a local court today.

Unfair Taxes
Firm threatens to pull out of Punjab
Chandigarh, February 12
Mohali-based orthopaedic equipment major, Tynor Orthotics, has threatened to pull out its operations from Punjab, after “unfair taxes” were imposed on him.

Slice of history vis-à-vis modern times
Chandigarh, February 12
The department of Indian theatre is ready with its annual production and this time it is history vis-à-vis modern times. The play titled ‘Warren Hastings ka saand’ is based on a short story written by writer Uday Prakash by the same name.